Breaking up can be hard to do

Fast food king
Jack Cowin
caused a few lighthearted moments when appearing before a WA parliamentary inquiry into franchising laws in Perth yesterday. As both a franchisee and franchisor, Cowin has a foot in both camps, but has long been campaigning against current laws he says are heavily in favour of franchisors, and likened the situation to a divorce. “In a divorce there is no one- sided situation where a husband gets it all, or the wife gets it all," he said, to which committee chairman, Liberal MP
Mike Nahan
, deadpanned: “Generally."

Critics say Cowin wants things changed as his Competitive Foods has previously been in a dispute with KFC franchisor Yum Foods.

When asked why he was pushing so hard for change, Cowin insisted he was a strong supporter of the franchise industry. “I am in the Franchise Council of Australia hall of fame, even though they don’t talk to me any more," he said in reference to the FCA opposing the changes. But Cowin was spotted chatting to FCA executive director
Steve Wright
before the hearing.